Gotta show off Part 2...

[AndyL]

Well the 20G is now re-worked... I'm liking it, the fish are liking it... We'll see if those darn convicts will let my plants grow a bit  *crazysmiley*

Sorry about the clarity of the water, I _JUST_ finished changing it around... stirred up a lot of nasty stuff!

Here it is!

This is the first of the driftwood that sank Sad but true, turns out to be a nice chunk in the water, pleco was gnawing on it while I was trying to place it! I think he was hungry!

From another angle

Infamous pleco, now enjoying one of his new haunts...

Main residents of the tank, he's very appreciative of the change, his colors changed radically (deeper orange) in the 2 hours the rocks have been in!

What sayeth the membership? You like?

Andy

 

[Troy-N-Eli]

Re: Gotta show of Part 2...

Everyone seems to be happy, would have to say that's a pretty nice set up...  Might be somewhat barren at this point, but if it grows in right, will look cool.

 

[fishboy]

I like it! Simple yet stunning *thumbsupsmiley*

 

[confusedfishy]

Looks like getting stuck in the mud paid off.  Tank looks great.  I'm sending hubby on hunt next time he goes fishin' in the creek!

 

[jiggerpolebill]

very nice looking wood and rocks indeed. you mentioned some of the fossils in the rocks you found. someone correct me if im wrong, but some fossilization(sp) occurs when the organism is replaced by calcium carbonate isnt it? i found some rocks at a local reservoir last week and performed the vinegar test on them. on one of the rocks, the rock itself tested fine, but when i dropped vinegar on the fossilized organism, it fizzed away. anybody else have experiences like this? the ones that tested good i scrubbed with a stiff brush and boiled about 30 minutes apiece.

 

[wayne]

Yes almost all fossils are composed of Calcium Carbonate.  Boiling it won't get rid of it's hardening effect

 

[AndyL]

Ok, so whats this do for my tank? I did vinegar test the rocks, and I didn't see any fizzing. But I have been wondering about that...   I could probably answer my own question by going to the LPS and buying up a GOOD test kit so I can figure out the details (I'm bad, just own ph, ammonia, nitrates and nitrite test kits)

Since the main occupants are Lk Malawali cichlids, can I keep them? Or should the rocks get tossed?

Main reason for asking is simply, I _Like_ those rocks, they aren't all rounded like the rest of the river rocks I found. I like the sharp edges in the tank.

Andy

 

[luvfishies]

Lake Malawians appreciate harder water with pH around 7.8-8.0. The driftwood will lower the pH, so you might want to look into buffering that water anyways.

Calcium Carbonate or crushed coral in the filter will do this nicely. As will Tuffa Rock, Traverine Rock that you get at the lfs.

Also, convicts prefer softer water, as does the plec,...so you have a mix of fish in there that like different water conditions. If they were gotten locally it shouldn't be a problem. Just keep an eye out for aggression..especially if the cons pair up.

 

[happyfishies]

fossils?

Isn't it also common to find fossils or pseudofossils (mineral deposits that look like fossils) in rocks other than limestone?  Like shale, which would be more inert... and also darker, like the pictures look, whereas limestone would be whitish.

I'm dredging this up from a long-ago earth-science course, so any geologists out there can feel free to tell me I'm wrong

btw, I like the look of the tank..

 

[AndyL]

The Cons are actually temporary residents, And hopefully will be gone in the next month (fish store wont take them until they are 2&quot Pleco was all that was available when some algae started appearing... It could go back to the petstore too.

Although the zebras have not overly impressed me... I loved their color at first, then the territorial nature appeared, and they could be the first to go...

PH yesterday and today is steady at 7.8. (tap is 8.0)

Not sure exactly what the rocks are... This area was in prehistoric times lake/swamp area (which now gives us the oilsand/tarsands) But they are super soft, gluing them together doesn't work, the glue just pulls away a layer of rock)

Luv: you overestimate the stock of my LFS, They don't have much!

These are definitely not pseudofossils, I'll grab the one with the fossilized shrimp and snail, see if I can get a decent picture out of it (I tried before, just couldn't get a clear picture)  Way too much detail, and too many of them (mostly shell impressions tho)

Andy

 

[luvfishies]

Andy...you could try home centres/garden outlets for the crushed coral and calcium carbonate. You could also ask the lfs to order some for you.

If all else fails I could mail you some....got a 50lb bag of crushed coral in the basement that I got for $30 at my lfs. I didn't know they had it until I asked if they had it...of course I scooped it right up!

Go ahead and ask...you never know what is in those unlabelled bags.....